Magdalena van Ruijven

Magdalena van Ruijven was the daughter of Pieter van Ruijven and Maria de Knuijt, and she is believed to be the sitter for Vermeer's iconic painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring. Her life and the inheritance of Vermeer's artworks after her premature death at a young age significantly influenced the legacy and recognition of the artist's work in later centuries.